Back to School!

240 Students are in school because of you!

We had a busy month checking all these students in, getting their results from the previous year, counseling them and getting them stocked up with school supplies!  We also had 30 students graduate from Senior 4 so we were busy helping them decide what to do next.

We are so thankful for our staff, David and Bright, who help counsel these students that are making decisions for their future.  Some students will continue into “A level”, which is Senior 5&6, while others head to different courses such as teaching, nursing, and general vocational training courses.

During the school break, the children at Manna Rescue Home have the chance to reconnect with relatives that live in the village. They all love being able to go to their villages to visit siblings and relatives. It is good for them to stay connected and not feel institutionalized.  Unfortunately, these are not homes they can stay in all year long because of the distance from school and medical care. If they’ve come from abusive situations we have them stay with foster families that our MRH counselor has identified, or relatives who can take them for short periods of time. The caregivers all have to come to the home to pick up the kids and to make sure they understand the medicines needed.

Let me introduce Vicky to you!  She is our house mother at Manna Rescue Home.  She is 63 years old and has worked in the home for 12 years so she’s been here from the beginning.  The job is rewarding as well as challenging as you can imagine working with 30 kids who are mostly pre-teens!  She sometimes hears from children who have grown up and moved away and the letters really warm her heart.  Vicky has experienced a lot of success stories in the home.  The one she will never forget was of the boy called Ronnie.  He came to the home very malnourished and she thought he would not make it.  His weight was 17.6 pounds at 6 years old.

“He was very weak and unhealthy but he is now running in the compound with the rest of the children. I have seen so much good come out of the home,” Vicky shares. “I still can not believe I have been lucky enough to be apart of the amazing work happening here.”

Thank you for helping and encouraging the youth of Uganda!